So funny. You guys simply cannot tolerate anyone who disagrees with you on any topic. Just look at this China section - You guys are so mean you chase off most all of the new people here before they even make 50 posts and then all that remains is your little circle of 20 users that just keep agreeing with one another. How quaint. I asked a straight and simple questions about a gift idea for TAs and you throws spears at me. Surely what Dave Sperling envisioned when he started this website years ago right?

So funny. You guys simply cannot tolerate anyone who disagrees with you on any topic. Just look at this China section - You guys are so mean you chase off most all of the new people here before they even make 50 posts and then all that remains is your little circle of 20 users that just keep agreeing with one another. How quaint. I asked a straight and simple questions about a gift idea for TAs and you throws spears at me. Surely what Dave Sperling envisioned when he started this website years ago right?

You're not entirely wrong. But it could be worse. You could be at eslteachersboard - - change your number of 20 to 2 and you'd be quite accurate!

oh we do, and we so are. haha, i just read your other post on teachr
celeries. holy frijoles, just give it a rest! sockpuppet quotes sockpuppet.

man, you guys are thick. it's getting to the point that it only takes a couple
of posts by your latest identities to figure out who you are. but the
question is..........what are you?

western folk? nice grammers and vocabulary. but you're not smart
enough. you just don't have the creativity. same-same but not even
different.

i'm guessing there's a group of failed chinese recruiters and a few western
folks, probably with masterful degrees in english literature or philosophy.....
you know the kind that can't get real jobs.....

anyway, they've come up with a cunning plan to blackmail legitimate schools
and even (the few) honest recruiters out there.

you run hundreds of sockpuppets on teacher forums, pretending to be
new teachers, running into problems, and suddenly finding the answer....
usually at the STFU.

so you've got all these posts naming names. and all your sockpuppets
are referencing the other sockpuppets on other forums. and your STFU
personae are publishing fake articles in fake media. "open.salon.com"
comes to mind.

now you've got the intertubes echo chamber working for you. all those
bad articles and stories about certain schools or recruiters sooner or
later will affect their business. you hope.

so a representative of the STFU visits the target school/recruiter and
promises to take care of the bad publicity.....for a fee.

So funny. You guys simply cannot tolerate anyone who disagrees with you on any topic. Just look at this China section - You guys are so mean you chase off most all of the new people here before they even make 50 posts and then all that remains is your little circle of 20 users that just keep agreeing with one another. How quaint. I asked a straight and simple questions about a gift idea for TAs and you throws spears at me. Surely what Dave Sperling envisioned when he started this website years ago right?

I dont know if RWA is genuine or not, bur, nonetheless makes a valid point. One of my early posts here expressed the opinion that was at odds with Chodufu and he immediately labelled me an imposter. Then his buddies joined the chorus, it was quite sad to see, actually.These boards do tend to be cliqueish, though, as pointed out by another, eslteachers board is far worse. My advice, ignore the cliques, say your piece and be glad there is more to your life than faceless bullying.
To answer your other question, the vision of mister Sperling has nothing to do with facilitating teachers, its all about he money.

Not defending unfriendly behavior, but when posters use their first opportunity to promote a union or a employer, then a FT's spidie senses are wound up....When posters continue draw conclusions from post that resembles political indoctrination and tries to direct every post to how bad it is in China, when some of us are doing well, making money and have no real beef with the current power structure...Why? There presence on this board does not illuminate any solutions as to FT problems dealing with cultural influence on business and seems more about stirring the sh*t, trying to provoke or somehow to make up for their failure to maintain a successful relationship or employment in the PRC. When every subject or new release is taken as an opportunity to advance a poster's agenda whether or not they reside in the PRC and why else would someone who has left the mainland continue to haunt these boards with additional incites as to the Chinese people or advice to join unions or strikes or anything that serves to be or could result in a negative outcomes, then yeah... those who know better will call B.S. ..... Now I cannot claim to be friends here with anyone.. and I am sure my outlook on life is shared by few, but those who seek to maintain a level headed approach to subjects (even if that approach is not a political correct understanding which teachers are famous for championing) and not call for a union or a strike or yet another reference to the evil red tide.....then perhaps they will be greeting with interest instead of rejection and comical reaction.

you burst on the scene with no history, no newbie questions, no introduction.
your online persona came off a bit abrasive and patronizing. (as opposed to
mine, which as we all know is warmhearted and lovely!)

this was the time when a certain poster, a34593something, or A_helena, and
half a dozen other aliai had been repeatedly banned, resurrected, banned.
your persona was very similar. too similar. your "stone cold fact" line could
have been stolen directly from one of helena's provocations.

it was also during yet another of the STFU's monthly spam sessions. RWA's
complaint about new users gettin' chased off? in his case, he means banned
by the-powers-that-mod.

you burst on the scene with no history, no newbie questions, no introduction.
your online persona came off a bit abrasive and patronizing. (as opposed to
mine, which as we all know is warmhearted and lovely!)

this was the time when a certain poster, a34593something, or A_helena, and
half a dozen other aliai had been repeatedly banned, resurrected, banned.
your persona was very similar. too similar. your "stone cold fact" line could
have been stolen directly from one of helena's provocations.

it was also during yet another of the STFU's monthly spam sessions. RWA's
complaint about new users gettin' chased off? in his case, he means banned
by the-powers-that-mod.

I took rhe time to review some of RWAs posts and believe the suspicions may be well founded. That ‘foreigners pay sucks’ post is patently trolling. Nonetheless, there is cliqueish animosity within this board. I dont understand the mentality, but dont really care to either. I Guess I could be considered abrasive, but I prefer ‘brutally honest’

There's a brand of tea which I got served to me in the big boss' office when she wanted a favour.
'Red Robe' or similar name. The packet has a female form in a flowing robe (red) as I remember.
Apparently it signifies real kudos.
Tea is of course real cultural icon here so it shows taste and cultural sensitivity at the same time.
Great idea to show appreciation - well done!
Best
I've no idea of cost BTW.